Orkney Council moves to quell civil partnerships row

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“A glittering occasion”?….a little over the top for the Orkneys.There are bigger issues for the the likes of Messrs Tatchell and Cashman to weigh in on than this….or is there loads of publicity because it is the “Mastre of the Queen’s Musick” and his partner.Sounds like a storm in a tea-cup to me…In the words of Simon Heffer – “meretricious celebrities”?Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies ought to know better. A “glittering” bash in London with some high – profile guests would have been a better choice with some respect for the albeit mistaken sensibilities of the Orcadian neighbours.Softly ,softly catchee – monkee.

Having by law to give legal notice of three weeks before a Civil Registration can take place, surely the Orkney Registrar or Registrars had sufficient notice to conduct this Civil Partnership ceremony.

I visited the Orkneys with my partner last August/September, including Sanday, and I have to say that we were treated very well by the Orcadians. They (along with the Shetlanders) were absolutely lovely by comparison with a lot of folk in our home city of London. To the point that we are thinking of buying a place in the islands!Based on my experience of several of the Orkney Islands (LoganAir, great for island-hopping) I absolutely cannot envisiage homophobia as being a major problem there. We were quite open about our status as a couple and had absolutely no problem with appropriate accommodation, services etc.From the sound of things Peter Maxwell-Davies may have “gone off on one” when he found that his pal, the local “home-based” registrar, was not a designated registrar for civil partnerships. His pal should have been able to tell him this when initial enquiries were made and should have directed him correctly!There is nothing unusual about the senior registrar travelling to Sanday to carry out the ceremony. People go back and forth between the islands every day on the local 15-minute flights to carry out various duties.Based on my personal experiences I for one shall not be joining Peter Tatchell’s suggested tourism boycott, instead I shall be supporting the non-homophobic Orcadian majority by continued tourism in response to the great way we were treated when we were island-hopping.I strongly recommend the Orkneys (and Shetlands) as tourism destinations and believe that we gay folk can make a difference by our travelling to these destinations.

Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies has decided to shelve plans to marry his partner on the Orkney Islands, his pal Charlie Ridley who is the Sanday registrar and a friend of Sir Peter, has resigned his post in protest at being told he could not perform the civil partnership ceremony, which he WOULD HAVE KNOWN WELL IN ADVANCE that he personally could not “perform” as he is not the designated registrar for civil partnerships…it all sounds like a bunch of manic kweens having a huge and pointless kafuffle to me!A storm in a bra-cup doesn’t begin to describe it! Totally daft and pointless twaddle by kweens who should know better!